Christmas Part 3: The Flavor of Christmas

Keeping this short and decidedly sweet- One full day of Christmas fare from my kitchen to yours.

Clearly not from my kitchen, but you get the idea

Buckwheat pancakes rolls

1 cup sifted flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 well beaten egg
1 1/4 cup milk- add more milk for thinner pancakes
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Sift the flours, baking powder and salt.
Mix the egg, milk and oil.
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry, but don't over beat them or the pancakes become tough. Bake on a griddle, lightly greased if you prefer.



Scrumtralescent

My family prefers these pancakes thin enough to roll- we garnish with Nutella or maple syrup (we are syrup purists) and the buckwheat has a rich, almost nutty flavor. But fruit or other speads would work. The buckwheat pancake roll also lends itself really well to savory flavors, like ham and Swiss.

I usually accompany this favorite with bacon from the oven, and eggs quick fried in the leftover bacon grease (don't judge, it's one morning a year).

Sandwich Wreath

1/2 lb of lean hamburger meat
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 medium/small yellow onion, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1 tsp oregano
1Tbsp Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg Crescent rolls
browning sauce optional
sliced or shredded pepper-jack cheese

Preheat oven to instructions on crescent rolls. Heat the oil in a sauce pan and sweat the onions and garlic. Next, add mushrooms to brown before adding meat. Add oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Once the meat mixture is sufficiently browned, (I sometimes add a little browning sauce for flavor), stir in drained spinach. Drain any excess liquid.




Once closed, I wove them together

On a cookie sheet, separate and arrange the crescent triangles to form a circle, overlapping the edges. It should look like a large round star. Scoop spoonfuls of the meat mixture onto the broad part of the triangles, spreading evenly. cover with cheese- I prefer a nice heavy layer. Take the top point of the triangle and fold it over diagonally to seal with the base of the next triangle and repeat until the formation is like a wreath. meat and cheese will be visible. Put in oven until bread is golden brown.



Hot chocolate- we like the Ovaltine Malt flavor with warm milk (instead of water) and a big scoop of frozen Cool Whip or Marshmellow Fluff. I sometimes add a dollop of heavy cream for added thickness and we may dunk Snickers or Musketeer bars in- again, this is only once a year.

Lemon Sherry Chicken

This is a hybrid of a recipe from a friend and my mother. Always a hit.

1 pkg of boneless, skinless chicken tenders or breasts (if breast, cut to scale)
salt and fresh ground pepper (I prefer lemon pepper)
1 1/4 stick of butter
2 Tbsp Dry Sherry (I prefer 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (I prefer the whole lemon)
2 tsp lemon zest (I use the whole lemon)
1 cup whipping cream
Parmesan cheese (optional- I don't use it if I am using the whole lemon)
3 Tbsp capers, drained
1 pkg white mushrooms, rinsed


Preheat oven to 350. Melt one stick of butter in skillet. Flatten chicken- use a mallet or a pin, get that frustration out without ruining the meat though. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Add chicken and cook until solid white or slightly brown (no more than 5 minutes per side). Transfer to oven safe baking dish, allowing excess butter to drip back into skillet. Add remaining butter to skillet and brown mushrooms. Add lemon zest, juice and capers. Add sherry and bring mix to a boil. Slowly stir in cream and mix. Pour sauce over chicken- taste the sauce to decide if you want to add the parmesan. Broil for about 5-10 minutes depending on the color of the chicken.

 Haricot Vert (French green beans)

1 lb fresh green beans- look for the thin kind, those are the French ones

1 qt water

1 cube chicken bouillion

2 Tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium/large shallot

1 cup slivered almonds

Salt to taste

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add washed and trimmed green beans and bring back to a boil. Remove pot from heat and dump hot water and immediately blanche with cold water rinse. In a sauce pan, melt butter to sweat shallots and garlic. Add beans. Add 1 cup of water and bouillion cube, cover and allow to simmer, salt to taste. Plate for serving and garnish with slivered almonds. (Pictured above)

Herb Roasted Carrots

1 bag of thick carrots

Parsley

Thyme

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Lemon Juice- just a squirt
1 medium shallot (optional)

This recipe couldn't be easier- I'm not sure it really even qualifies as a recipe.
Chop the carrot diagonally into bite sized pieces and put in oven safe dish- add diced shallot if desired (I like it). Coat evenly with olive oil and  garlic. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper until coated to your satisfaction- I prefer a generous smattering. squirt a little lemon juice over the top and pop in to over for 30 min.



Martha Stewart's Crispy Roasted Potatoes

I cannot improve upon this recipe and don't even want to try. One of the great things about Martha Stewart is how simple her recipes are- very few and simple ingredients, but insane flavor. The ease of her shopping list allows for clean eating and can be translated to fit most diets. She knows her business.

Fudge

Mix #1:

8 oz Hershey bar

8 oz pkg of semi-sweet chocolate chips

8 oz jar Marshmellow Fluff

Mix #2

6 1/2 oz condensed milk

2 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 lb margarine

                                                     2 Tbsp vanilla



Prep Mix 1 by grating the candy bar and mixing with chocolate chips and Fluff.

Combine ingredients for Mix 2 in a sauce pan and bring to rapid boil. Boil for 4.5 minutes then remove from heat. Add Mix 1 to Mix 2. Stir quickly.

Blend until fully brown and all lumps are removed. At this point you can pour it onto a wax sheeted cookie tray and refrigerate, but I've started to experiment with flavors. I divide it in separate bowls to create different flavors. I suggest orange extract, raspberry extract, peppermint extract (topped with crushed candy canes), coconut, mini M&Ms, slivered almonds.


I did promise spirits this week, and as such, I'm going back to my girl Martha. This recipe- not my own- is flawless. As the song says, "Have a good old cup of cheer!"

Christmas Punch Recipe

These are a few of the favorites that are offered on my holiday table. Happy Holidays and Bon Appetit.